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Starting Caelyx as a 3rd-Line Treatment July 29. Hoping It Can Help My Bowel Obstruction

I wanted to share an update with everyone here in the Ovarian Cancer community and hopefully connect with others who may have been in a similar situation.

After everything I've been through with recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, I have now started Caelyx (Doxil) as my 3rd-line treatment.

The reason for this change is that I developed a bowel obstruction caused by my cancer. I was hospitalized in June and, unfortunately, the obstruction has not resolved completely. Surgery is not an option for me, so the hope is that the Caelyx will shrink the cancer enough to relieve the obstruction and allow my bowel to function better.

I received my first Caelyx treatment on July 29. Right now, I'm taking things one day at a time and trying to regain my strength. The fatigue has been quite significant on some days, and I've been resting and sleeping a lot.

I'm also doing everything I can to prevent hand-foot syndrome, including keeping my hands and feet well moisturized and taking good care of my skin.

I know Caelyx can work very differently from person to person, so I'm wondering if anyone here has had Caelyx as a 3rd-line treatment, particularly when the goal was to help with a cancer-related bowel obstruction.

💗 Did Caelyx help shrink your cancer or improve your bowel obstruction?

💗 How long did it take before you noticed a response?

💗 What side effects did you experience after your first few treatments?

💗 If you had a bowel obstruction, did it improve enough for you to eat more normally?

I would really appreciate hearing your experiences. I know everyone's journey is different, but sometimes hearing from someone who has walked a similar path can give us a little hope and help us know what to expect.

Thank you to everyone who continues to share their stories and support one another. ❤️

Hi Cole!

I have been on Caelyx, not for a bowel obstruction however (that must be incredibly frustrating and possibly a bit painful if I may add). 

I found while on Caelyx, I was tired a lot and it felt like I had the flu for an about 5 or 6 days after. I was also working full time as well so that could have contributed too, who knows.

I hope you see some good results from this. How are they going to see if this is working for you?

Thanks for the reply. I get a CAT scan on September 1 to see how it's working. My oncologist said I need a minimum of two treatments to see if there's benefits. I don't have any other symptoms, except for being tired, which is really bothersome. if it's not working my next option is  to try Gemcitabine.